Joyce Jones Everett, 81

Joyce Jones Everett, 81, was born on Sept. 19, 1942, in Kalispell, to parents, Dave and Evelyn Jones. She grew up on a farm west of Kalispell and as the oldest of four girls she learned to drive tractors and do all the hard labor that was required on a farm. She would ride her horse to the small Batavia grade school and graduated with honors from Flathead High School.

Joyce had several administrative jobs and worked for the Forest Service when she met and married Irving Everett in 1963. They were blessed with the birth of two children, Shelly in 1964 and Greg in 1968. Greg was born with cerebral palsy and Joyce stayed home to take care of him, turning what the doctors thought might be a year for him to live, into 20 years. She lovingly took skilled care of him, preventing her from a full night’s sleep for 20 years to provide him with the best possible life.   

In 2001, Joyce and Irving moved to the island of Kauai in Hawaii. She loved living near the ocean and spent many wonderful years there living in the new home they built and having a lot of family and friends visit. She was always a great host, making sure her guests had everything they needed to be comfortable. Going on walks was a daily activity and one of her favorite things was to watch the turtles swim by the shore. She found this to be very peaceful.  

Unfortunately, breast cancer gave her another life challenge at first being diagnosed in 2009. She fought stage IV breast cancer for four years going through 10 different kinds of chemo non-stop, always with a positive attitude that it would work and never giving up hope.   

In 2022, Joyce and Irving moved back to Montana to be close to their daughter, Shelly in Missoula and have great medical care available.  

Joyce passed away from cancer on May 7, 2024.  

She is survived by her husband, Irving (married 61 years); her daughter, Shelly Jacobson; her son-in-law, Ron; and her granddaughter, Raimey. She is also survived by her sisters, Glory, Bonnie, and Karen; and numerous nephews, nieces and cousins.  

She was preceded in death by her son, Greg.

A memorial service will be held in Kalispell at a later date.